"Institutional Racism is defined as “the systematic distribution of resources, power and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are white and the exclusion of people of color.” -- Solid Ground

When you hear the word segregation, what do you think of? Many of us think back to the Civil Rights Movement. Yet, American cities continue to be highly segregated. Using U.S. Census Bureau data, Governing Magazine found Detroit ranks as the fourth-most segregated metro area in the nation, and Michigan cities such as Grand Rapids and Lansing also have a high rate of segregation in housing.

Present-day racism was built on a long history of racially distributed resources and ideas that shape our view of ourselves and others. It is a hierarchical system that comes with a broad range of policies and institutions that keep it in place. Policies shaped by institutional racism that enforce segregation include redlining, predatory lending, the exclusion of veterans from the G.I. bill, and the forced segregation of neighborhoods by the Federal Housing Authority. As a result of institutional racism, racial stratification and inequities persist in employment, housing, education, healthcare, government and other sectors. (Source)

Explore the Racial Dot Map created by the University of Virginia, which uses colored dots to visualize how racial segregation appears in our communities. We encourage you to zoom into Michigan and your county to see how it plays out in our backyard. Read more about the methodology here.

Fifty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, our nation is still divided. Read more from The Economist about how segregation exists today in cities across America and the costly impact it has on the future of our communities.

Why are cities still so segregated? Watch this quick video where NPR’s Code Switch looks at the factors contributing to modern day segregation.

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United Way of the Lakeshore is partnering with the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance to hold a town hall discussion to reflect with other participants taking the challenge. These town hall meeting will happen on Wednesdays at 12:00 PM via Zoom throughout the challenge. We'd like to thank Gloria Lara for being our facilitator for these discussions.

This week's town hall will be held on September 16th at 12:00 PM. RSVP below to be sent the Zoom Link!

United Way of the Lakeshore is offering a safe and secure place for you and other in the challenge to be able to reflect and discuss about what you read today. These reflections are optional but a great way to connect with others.